An overview of the work carried out by NHS England and NHS Improving Quality's Long Term Conditions Sustainable Improvement Team. It puts the case for why person-centred care has to be at the heart of healthcare.

1. www.england.nhs.uk
We need to
talk about
person-
centred
care
#A4PCC

2. www.england.nhs.uk
#A4PCC: Action for person-centred care
2
One in four people in the UK live with a long-term condition. 30%
have more than one long-term condition and this increases with age
and deprivation. Long-term conditions are chronic diseases for
which there is currently no cure. These include conditions such as
diabetes, arthritis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease.
People with long-term conditions have the greatest healthcare
needs, with 50% of all GP appointments and 70% of all bed days in
hospitals being due to long term conditions. In fact, 70% of the NHS
and social care budgets in England are spent on treating people with
long-term conditions.
There are two key challenges that people with long term conditions
face:
• Being treated as a disease – not a person;
• A health and care system that works as individual
components, not holistically, especially for those with multiple
conditions.
Person-centred care is important for people with long term
conditions for a number of reasons, including:
• Wellbeing is about more than just medically managing a
condition;
• Is it acceptable for life to be just endured and not really lived
well?
• It’s an ethical, social and financial issue;
• Shared decision-making is key;
• We need to take account of self-care, feeling in control and the
impact on mental health;
• No one knows more about their condition than the patient.
A series of workshops were held with NHS England, NHS Improving
Quality (now the NHS England Long Term Conditions Sustainable
Improvement Team) and the Coalition for Collaborative Care. The
message was clear: it was time to act. This eBook gives an overview
of the discussions that took place in those workshops and why
person-centred care is so important.
So, want to get involved? There are some simple things you can do:
• Read more about Action for Person-Centred Care and have
your say
• Join the conversation, share and inspire online using the
hashtag #A4PCC
• Watch and share our videos featuring people with long-term
conditions talking honestly about the day-to-day reality of life
for them
• Make a declaration
Only together can we make life better for the millions living with long
term conditions.
Beverley Matthews
Long Term Conditions Programme Lead
Sustainable Improvement Team
NHS England

3. www.england.nhs.uk 3
People are more
than just their
conditions – they
don’t want to be
defined by the
symptoms that need
to be treated. There
needs to be a move
from people being
seen as a condition
and cared for on that
basis, to a more
person-centred
approach. One that
not only looks at all
the aspects of a
person’s health
together but also
gives the person the
power and
knowledge to make
decisions about their
health.
#A4PCC

4. www.england.nhs.uk 4
For this to happen
care and support
planning needs to be
done collaboratively,
with the person, their
carers and their
health and care
professionals all
working together. We
need to start a
person-centred
conversation. The
conversation needs
to go beyond tests
and treatment. The
relationship between
people and their
health and care
professionals should
be one of partners –
with both sides
valuing the
perspective,
expertise and
knowledge of the
other.
#A4PCC

5. www.england.nhs.uk 5#A4PCC
People with long-
term conditions have
described the type of
relationship they
would like with their
health care
professional as being
‘two adults in a
room’, both listening,
respecting each
other and making
decisions together.
They are seen as a
person, not defined
by their conditions.

6. www.england.nhs.uk 6#A4PCC
As well as being the
right way to support
people, we know this
approach works -
people are more
likely to follow
through on decisions
they have been
involved in making.
This shifts the
conversation from
‘what is the matter
with you’ to ‘what
matters to you’.

7. www.england.nhs.uk 7#A4PCC
NHS England has
developed a short
document, Our
Declaration, which
sets out why Action
For Person-Centred
Care is important.
Our Declaration can
be used by people
with long-term
conditions, health
and social care
professionals,
charities and other
groups to get the
conversation on
person-centred care
started and help us
to understand what
needs to be done.

8. www.england.nhs.uk 8#A4PCC
To make person-
centred care a reality
the whole system
needs to work
together. This will
only happen if there
is a movement of
change from across
health and social
care, working in
partnership with
people who live with
a long-term
condition. A term that
can be used to
describe this is ‘co-
production’. This is
when people with
long-term conditions
work together with
health and care
workers, those who
plan and commission
services, managers
and policy makers to
design the services
and support needed.

9. www.england.nhs.uk 9#A4PCC
We know this kind of
change won’t
happen overnight. It
will require
leadership and
dedication from both
people with long-
term conditions and
the professionals
who care for them.

10. www.england.nhs.uk 10#A4PCC
While Our
Declaration goes
some way to explain
what ‘good’ care
looks like, we need
to be aware that this
may not be enough.
There will be a need
for training and
awareness
discussions so that
we can identify what
works and share it as
widely as we can.

11. www.england.nhs.uk 11#A4PCC
Language is also
important – for both
health and care
professionals and
people with long-
term conditions.
While non-clinicians
may struggle to
understand the
medical jargon and
acronyms so often
used, health and
care professionals
may struggle to
understand the new
language of person-
centred care.

12. www.england.nhs.uk 12#A4PCC
This kind of change will
not happen quickly.
There needs to be a
fundamental shift from
both the professionals
and the people living
with long-term
conditions. They need
to have the confidence
to discuss their
concerns and work
together; to develop
solutions and design
the right support, at the
right time. The good
news is the work
towards bringing about
change has already
begun. We are moving
in the right direction,
and many others are
joining us on the path to
making person-centred
care and support
planning a reality. There
is, however, still a long
way to go.

13. www.england.nhs.uk 13#A4PCC
Join us by making
your own declaration
for person-centred
care and joining the
conversation through
our hashtag #A4PCC
and help us to make
this vision a reality.

14. www.england.nhs.uk
#A4PCC